INVESTINGBest Financial Advisors
The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
The best financial advisors don't earn commissions for promoting specific investments or other products — which can introduce a conflict of interest. They offer holistic, expert guidance to take the guesswork out of planning for your future goals. They also adjust their approach to meet your specific needs, and they offer a variety of ways to get in touch, including virtual meetings.
This page covers the best financial advisors as chosen by NerdWallet's editorial team.
Full list — best financial advisors for 2025:
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How we picked the best financial advisors for this list
Duty to the client. All of the firms on our list are fiduciary financial advisors, which means they're required to put your interests above their own.
Breadth. Some of the financial advisor firms on our list have in-house financial advisors. Others operate a network of advisors all over the country, and they refer you to the financial advisor who is the best fit for your needs. (Not included on this list is NerdWallet Advisory, a registered investment advisor operated by NerdWallet that offers advisor matches. We don't review our own products to avoid conflicts of interest.)
Access. In many cases, working with an advisor through these firms is cheaper than finding a local financial advisor, but you'll still have a 1-to-1 relationship with an advisor who knows your financial situation and understands your needs. However, we've also included a few financial advisor firms that offer access to a team of financial advisors on an as-needed basis. In most cases, you'll talk to a different advisor each time, but you'll generally pay an even lower fee if you opt for one of these services.
More about our methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks companies that provide financial planning services online or connect users to a financial advisor. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating financial advisors and our process, read our full methodology.
Why trust NerdWallet
Our deep, independent analysis sorts through key details to find and evaluate the information investors want when choosing a financial advisor. To see our full methodology and learn more about our process, read our criteria for evaluating online financial advisors.
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Over 60 investment account providers reviewed and rated by our expert Nerds.
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More than 50 years of combined experience writing about finance and investing.
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Extensive review of the features that matter most to average investors.
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Dozens of objective ratings rubrics, and strict guidelines to maintain editorial integrity.
Best financial advisors
The best financial advisor for you depends on your financial planning needs. Some of these advisors can match you with a local advisor, while others operate online and meet with clients virtually, via phone or video call.
| Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zoe Financial | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | Varies by Advisor (free initial consultation) | $150,000 | None no promotion available at this time. | |
 Vanguard Personal Advisor | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | 0.30%management fee | $50,000 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Facet | Reviewed in: Apr. 2025Period considered: Aug. 2024 - Apr. 2025 | $1,000 and upper year (free initial consultation) | $0 | None no promotion available at this time. | |
 Harness Wealth | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | Up to 1%per year | $250,000 | $250 off one year of financial or tax planning | |
 Wealthramp | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. 2023 - Oct. 2024 | Varies by advisor(free initial consultation) | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™ | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | $30monthly | $25,000 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Ellevest Wealth Management | Reviewed in: April 2025Period considered: April 2025 | 0.25% - 1.25% | $500,000 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Merrill Guided Investing with advisor | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | 0.85%management fee | $20,000 | None no promotion available at this time |
Guide to working with a financial advisor
Here's how to get what you need from a reliable advisor at a reasonable cost.
What a financial advisor does
There are different types of financial advisors, but in general they should all be able to help you with at least the following:
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Prioritizing or setting financial goals.
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Coaching you through the financial effects of life or market changes.
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Reviewing and rebalancing investments.
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Retirement planning.
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Managing the tax consequences of various events or decisions.
Typically, during your meetings the financial advisor will assess your financial situation (your assets, debts and expenses), identify areas for improvement and help you create a financial plan.
» MORE: What financial advisors do
Financial advisor fees
Financial advisors use several different fee structures, including annual fees that are a percentage of assets under management, flat annual or monthly fees, hourly rates, one-time financial plan fee, or, for some advisors, commissions.
We suggest working with financial advisors who are fee-only fiduciaries. Fee-only advisors charge flat fees or a percentage of the assets they manage; they don't get commissions. (Note: fee-only advisors aren't the same as fee-based advisors, who may earn commissions on products they sell and charge clients a fee or percentage of assets.)
How to choose a good financial advisor
It's important to find a financial advisor who is a good fit for your life and who doesn't charge you for services you don't need. These are the six basic steps to the selection process. Our article on how to choose a financial advisor will walk you through each step.
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Step 1: Decide what you want the financial advisor to do.
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Step 2: Look for these key financial advisor credentials.
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Step 3: Decide if you want to work with a human.
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Step 4: Decide what you want to pay.
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Step 5: Look for red flags.
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Step 6: Hire the financial advisor.
When to hire a financial advisor
If dealing with money or investing for future goals feels overwhelming, or if your finances feel unorganized, a financial advisor can certainly help. Here are some common situations that can often benefit from working with a financial advisor.
Financial advisor FAQs
- Zoe Financial: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Vanguard Personal Advisor: Best for Access to a team of financial advisors
- Facet: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Harness Wealth: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Wealthramp: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™: Best for Access to a team of financial advisors
- Ellevest Wealth Management: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Merrill Guided Investing with advisor: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
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